Tae Bo Vs. Walking On A Treadmill

When choosing an exercise for your weight loss or conditioning program -- for example, between Tae Bo and walking on a treadmill -- you should consider a number of factors. Your personal goals, the nature of the exercise and what you consider fun will all play a part in the success or failure of your workout efforts.

Tae Bo and Treadmill Basics

Walking on a treadmill means walking for several minutes at a moderate pace on a piece of exercise equipment designed to let you do so in place. Tae Bo is a group aerobics program in which you use motions from boxing, kickboxing and traditional aerobics to move your body through a series of cardiovascular and strength-training exercises.

Calories Burned

If you want to lose weight through exercise, the calories each exercise burns can help you choose which exercise works best for your. According to health resource website Nutristrategy.com, a 155-pound person walking on a treadmill will burn about 230 calories in an hour of moderate walking. The same person would burn about 700 calories in an hour of Tae Bo and similar workouts.

Impact

Impact is the flip side of the calorie burn equation. Tae Bo burns nearly three times the calories as walking on a treadmill, meaning it's a significantly more intense workout. This can be good for people who are already in reasonably good shape. However, people just starting out -- or who have injuries -- may find that Tae Bo is too intense. It's better to do an exercise program within your capabilities than to injure or burn yourself out with a program that's too high in impact.

Monotony

Walking on a treadmill doesn't offer much in the way of variety. You walk, then you walk some more. The scenery doesn't even change. Tae Bo moves through a variety of movements over the course of a workout. For many people, this makes Tae Bo more interesting and fun. For others, the monotony of walking on a treadmill is desirable -- it lets them relax during their workout, or focus on music or an audiobook.

Bottom Line

Walking on a treadmill is a low-impact exercise with little inherent stimulation for the person exercising. Tae Bo is high-impact, intense and engaging. Which exercise will work best for you is a matter of what you like in your workouts and what you want out of your exercise. Further, which program you choose will be less important that your decision to exercise regularly, and your ability to follow through on that decision.